THE launch of Sarawak’s budget airlines has been delayed following some disagreements over the valuation of MasWings, said Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
He said the state government is now hiring a third party to calculate the value of MasWings’s assets.
"In principle, the Sarawak Transport Ministry has agreed to buy MasWings.
"However, MasWings has the valuation of its assets and we have our methods which differ and now have to hire a third party valuer.
"Hopefully we can get this done within the first quarter of 2025," he told reporters in Kuching.
It had already been almost three years since Johari announced that Sarawak would set up its own budget airline through the purchase of MasWings.
State leaders had repeatedly said Sarawak would set up its airline before the end of 2024.
However, on Sept 8, a Gabungan Parti Sarawak leader confessed that the much-talked-about Sarawak budget airline is not a reality yet as the acquisition was still in the negotiation stage.
Political secretary to Sarawak Premier, Kho Teck Wan, had admitted that the state government is looking at its intended MasWings takeover with "due diligence". - December 31, 2024